2026 White Sox Affiliate Preview: Charlotte Knights (Triple-A)
Sam Antonacci | Credit: Jerry Espinoza
The Charlotte Knights open the 2026 campaign at Truist Field against the Durham Bulls; Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. It’s been some tough sledding for the Knights in international league play in recent years and Truist Field has been a contributing factor. The locals love it and it’s a great place to experience baseball but the offensive environment is conflated which affects the pitchers and hitters pretty substantially in most cases.
The Knights scored 764 runs last year with a .766 Team OPS but the pitchers struggled overall to the tune of a 5.43 ERA. The pitching staff in Charlotte is lining up to be pretty star studded to open the season with three of the best pitching prospects in the sport anchoring the rotation along with Jonathan Cannon and former Durham Bull Duncan Davitt.
The Triple-A roster is typically comprised of some former big leagues and journeyman and this year will be no different. Some of the top prospects in the Sox’s system will filter through the Queen City though and many players are at the doorstep of the big leagues currently.
New manager Chad Pinder will lead the Knights this year after a season managing the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in Low-A. Pat Listach returns to Charlotte as the bench with Scott Aldred in the role of pitching coach as well. Aaron Bray will take over as the hitting coach for the Knights after spending the past two seasons in Double-A Binghamton in the New York Mets organization. Angel Rosario will coach the catchers. Will Kaufman will be in uniform as an assistant coach while George Timke serves as the performance coach on the staff.
Starting Pitchers
- Jonathan Cannon (25, RHP)
- Duncan Davitt (26, RHP)
- Tanner McDougal (22, RHP)
- Noah Schultz (22, LHP)
- Hagen Smith (22, LHP)
Lefties Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith will headline the rotation for the Knights in 2026. Hagen Smith gets the ball on opening night and director of player development Paul Janish has noted that the franchise will take things slow with the 2025 first rounder at the outset. Smith is expected to throw 120 plus innings this year but the organization hopes that he’s making starts in Chicago without restrictions as the season concludes.
The 6-3, 235 pounder possesses a dastardly fastball and slider combination but the development of the third pitch will be key for Smith’s success in the Queen City and could determine how quickly he ascends to the big leagues. The former 5th overall pick posted a 3.57 ERA in Double-A last year while striking out 108 and walking 56 on the season. He also pitched well in the Arizona Fall League and during the spring.
Schultz threw nearly 75 innings last year and made five starts in Charlotte with the Knights. The 6-10, 240 pounder had a rough go with an ERA over nine but he did post a 4.59 xFIP in that span. The White Sox selected Schultz out of Oswego East High School in Illinois with the 26th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He’s one of the best left-handed pitching prospects in the sport despite some of the struggles in 2026.
The southpaw dealt with patellar tendinitis throughout the 2025 season and it ultimately ended his campaign in Charlotte. Schultz employs multiple plus pitches with a fastball and slider leading the way and he’s expected to be aiming for a normal starter’s workload on a path to Chicago. Smith and Schultz should debut with the White Sox at some point this season.
Tanner McDougal will be making his Triple-A debut with the Knights after a breakout season in Double-A with the Barons. The 6-5, 185 pounder posted a 3.23 ERA over the course of 15 starts in the Southern League last year. McDougal struck out 136 hitters in 113.1 innings across two levels in 2025. The White Sox selected McDougal in the 5th round of the 2021 draft out of Silverado High School in Las Vegas.
In similar regard to big league reliever Grant Taylor, McDougal throws a bunch of pitches really hard. The big righty shows a plus upper 90’s heater with a high spin downer curveball and a plus slider as well. He was added to the 40-man roster this winter and he should also make his big league debut in Chicago at some point in 2026.
Jonathan Cannon has made 38 big league starts with the White Sox but he’ll begin the 2026 season in the Charlotte rotation. Originally selected in the third round of the 2022 draft out of Georgia, Cannon moved pretty quickly to the majors. The 6-6, 225 pound righty knows how to pitch with a four pitch mix but he really struggled in Chicago and Charlotte last year. He posted a 4.49 ERA in the big leagues in 2024.
26-year-old Duncan Davitt rounds out the group and he returns to Charlotte after making nine starts with the Knights last year. The 6-3, 235 pounder was added to the 40-man roster and he could serve as immediate starting pitching depth for the White Sox if needed. Mason Adams, Ky Bush and Drew Thorpe aren’t listed on the roster but they could filter through AAA as they continue rehab from Tommy John surgeries as well.
Relief Pitchers
- Adisyn Coffey (27, RHP)
- Tyler Davis (27, RHP)
- Brandon Eisert (28, LHP)
- Zach Franklin (27, RHP)
- Wikelman González (24, RHP)
- Tyson Miller (30, RHP)
- Ben Peoples (24, RHP)
- Chase Plymell (27, RHP)
- Garrett Schoenle (27, LHP)
- Tyler Schweitzer (25, LHP)
- Lucas Sims (31, RHP)
Multiple Knights’ relievers are likely to spend time in Chicago this season and there are several interesting candidates, led by two guys who are already on the 40-man roster in righty Wikelman González and lefty Brandon Eisert.
Three young arms in the Charlotte pen who likely also have realistic chances to make their big league debuts this year are Adisyn Coffey, Ben Peoples and Zach Franklin. Tyler Davis also gets the promotion to Charlotte after a strong year in Birmingham last season. And Chase Plymell returns for year two in Charlotte.
It’ll be curious to see Tyler Schweitzer, who dominated in Birmingham in 2025 but struggled mightily in Charlotte and then was even better in Birmingham after a demotion. He’ll likely be a multi-inning reliever this season. Schweitzer likely has a big league future in some capacity as well.
Also with the Knights this year are a couple of MLB vets who enjoyed past success in Tyson Miller and Lucas Sims.
Outfielders
- Dru Baker (26)
- Dustin Harris (26)
- Jarred Kelenic (26)
- Lamonte Wade Jr. (32)
Jarred Kelenic is the name to watch here. He’s had a lot of chances, with limited success, but he’s still just 26- years-old and could find Truist Field to be just what he needs. Dustin Harris, also a once highly-regarded prospect, joins the team as well after stops in Oakland and Texas, and Dru Baker returns to the Knights after being acquired from the Rays last year.
The 5-11, 206 pound Kelenic was the 6th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. The White Sox know him well as a native of Waukesha, Wisconsin who was a member of the club’s Area Codes team in high school. The left-handed hitter was a top 10 prospect in baseball prior to his debut. The former top prospect has nearly 1,500 big league plate appearances and 49 career homers.
Harris is a former highly regarded prospect of the Rangers and the 6-2, 185 pounder posted a 107 wRC+ for Triple-A Round Rock in 2025. The left-handed hitter hit 11 homers last year and has 50 big league plate appearances in his career. He could play some first base as well. Dru Baker struggled in 77 games in Charlotte last year after being acquired from the Rays. He was originally a 4th round pick out of Texas Tech by Tampa Bay.
Lamonte Wade Jr. was recently re-signed by the White Sox and he’ll be the veteran in Charlotte. The left-handed hitter struggled in 80 big league games last year but he has 55 career homers and posted a 119 wRC+ with the Giants in 2024. Wade has posted a 113 wRC+ in his career against right handers.
Infielders
- Sam Antonacci (23)
- Darren Baker (27)
- William Bergolla (21)
- Mario Camilletti (26)
- Oliver Dunn (28)
- Jacob Gonzalez (23)
- Tanner Murray (26)
The Charlotte offense is led by on-base-machine and likely soon to be Knights’ fan-favorite Sam Antonacci, who’ll split time between second base and the outfield. He’ll be joined at the top of the lineup by another top prospect, middle infielder William Bergolla Jr., who had a strong spring and seems very highly regarded by the White Sox.
Antonacci and Bergolla are bat-to-ball mavens. Last year in Birmingham, Bergolla struck out just 26 times in 486 at-bats while hitting .286. Antonacci, meanwhile, hit .292 in Birmingham, with an astounding .435 On Base Percentage thanks to 49 hits, 28 walks and 16 hits by pitches in 217 plate appearances.
The White Sox selected Antonacci in the 5th round of the 2024 draft out of Coastal Carolina and he’s done nothing but perform since. He’s a top 10 prospect in their system and a fringe top 100 prospect in baseball currently. The left-handed hitter posted a 156 wRC+ in 116 minor league games last year. He only hit five homers but it’ll be interesting to see how the bat plays at Truist Field.
Bergolla Jr. is the youngest player on the roster and he should receive the majority of his time at shortstop. The 21-year-old makes lots of contact, steals bases and plays stellar middle infield defense. He’s a top 15 prospect in the system and posted a 104 wRC+ in Birmingham last year.
Tanner Murray plays multiple infield positions and hit 18 homers for the Durham Bulls last year. He’s a member of the White Sox’s 40-man roster. Jacob Gonzalez was the 15th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Ole Miss and he’s trying to resurrect his prospect status in the International League while playing multiple infield positions. Oliver Dunn will play on the infield corners and Mario Camilletti and Darren Baker will serve bench roles as well.
Catchers
- Josh Breaux (28)
- Drew Romo (24)
- Michael Turner (27)
The pitching staff in Charlotte is really important for the White Sox and it’s no surprise that defense and game-calling has been prioritized at catching the staff. Romo was the 35th overall pick in the 2020 draft out of The Woodlands High School in Texas. He’s struggled offensively in the high minors and majors but the switch-hitter does have solid contact skills. He profiles as a backup catcher known for game calling acumen and solid defensive skills.
Breaux was a 2nd round pick by the Yankees out of community college in 2018 and was seen as a power over hit type with solid defensive skills. The 28-year-old hasn’t put it all together but should be useful for the White Sox in this role in Triple-A. Michael Turner has some hitting ability and pitchers like throwing to him. He’s been with some of these guys in Double-A and posted a 118 wRC+ in the minors last year. He was a 9th round pick out of Arkansas in 2022.
